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Place in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia

Gudauri გუდაური
Gudauri
Gudauri გუდაურიLocation of Gudauri in Georgia
Coordinates: 42°28′33″N 44°28′43″E / 42.47583°N 44.47861°E / 42.47583; 44.47861
Country	Georgia
Mkhare	Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Municipality	Kazbegi
Elevation	2,196 m (7,205 ft)
Population
• Total	54
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Time)
Website	Gudauri Resort

Gudauri (Georgian: გუდაური) is a ski resort located on the south-facing plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in Georgia. The resort is situated in the Kazbegi Municipality, along the Georgian Military Highway near the Jvari Pass, at an elevation of 2,200 meters (7,200 ft.) above sea level. Gudauri lies 120 km (75 mi) to the north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Gudauri is 4.1 km away from the nearest border with the unrecognized South Ossetia. The slopes of Gudauri are above the tree line and considered to be avalanche-safe. The ski season lasts from December to April. Heliskiing is available throughout the season.

Heliski

Heliskiing provides skiers with almost unrestricted access to local mountains. Skiers can experience runs at altitudes between 1,500 and 4,200 meters above sea level.

Ski touring

The Gudauri Resort area and Mount Kazbek massif provide options for ski touring.

Speed riding and paragliding

Gudauri is a well known site in the country for speedriding and paragliding. Experienced instructors are employed to accompany customers in the said activities.

Routes and lifts

Gudauri has more than 76km of ski runs and 18 lifts. The bottom station of first ski lift called Pirveli is at 1,990 m above sea level and the top station of the last ski lift is at 3,279 m, called Sadzele. The lifts are made by the Austrian-Swiss manufacturer Doppelmayr. The first lift (Pirveli) is 1,010 m long (three-seater chairlift), the second (Soliko) is 2,310 m long (four-seater chairlift) and the third (Snow Park) is 1,060 m long (three-seater chairlift). There are in overall already 15 Ski Lifts including Gondola types ("Gudaura" and "Kobi-Gudauri"):

1. PIRVELI (3 persons);
2. SOLIKO (3 persons);
3. KUDEBI (3 persons);
4. SNOW PARK (3 persons);
5. KUDEBI II (6 persons);
6. SADZELE (4 persons);
7. ZUMA (1 person);
8. GUDAURA (10 persons);
9. SHINO (6 persons);
10. ALPINA (1 person);
11. BOMBORA (1 person);
12. BABY (1 person);
13. KOBI - GUDAURI I (10 persons);
14. KOBI - GUDAURI II (10 persons)
15. KOBI - GUDAURI III (10 persons).

The most recent construction Is Kobi-Gudauri 1, 2 and 3 with 7.5 km, 111 Gondola Lifts, 6 Stations and the capacity of serving 2800 passengers in an hour. New 6km 3 lifts added as of December 2023: New Gudaura, Kikilo 1, Kikilo 2. The lifts work from 10:00 to 16:00, and from 9:00 to 17:00 in the later season when the day light is longer.

Accidents

Chairlift

On 16 March 2018, due to the operator's mistake and design failures, one of the chairlifts started moving backwards at twice the normal speed, creating a rollback and leaving 11 individuals with injuries.

Helicopter

On 29 July 2022, a police Mi-8 helicopter crashed while trying to rescue two paragliders in a gorge near Gudauri, killing all eight people on board. One of the two paragliders was also found dead.

Restaurant

On 14 December 2024, 12 individuals were found dead at an Indian restaurant in Gudauri, a popular mountain resort town in Georgia known for its ski tourism. The victims, believed to be employees of the restaurant, included 11 Indian nationals and one Georgian citizen. Their bodies were discovered in bedrooms located on the second floor of the establishment. Initial investigations revealed that an electric power generator had been placed in an enclosed indoor space near the bedrooms and had been switched on following a power outage in the area. Investigators suggested that fumes from the generator likely caused carbon monoxide poisoning, although forensic examinations were conducted to confirm the exact cause of death. The bodies showed no signs of violence, ruling out foul play.

The Georgian Interior Ministry launched an investigation into the incident to determine whether negligence or improper safety measures contributed to the tragedy. The event drew significant public attention, sparking strong emotions both domestically and internationally. The incident quickly went viral on social media, where users expressed grief and outrage, particularly over potential lapses in safety standards. Government officials and community leaders called for stricter enforcement of safety regulations regarding the use of power generators, while Indian diplomatic representatives coordinated with Georgian authorities to assist in repatriating the victims' remains.

References

"მოსახლეობის საყოველთაო აღწერა 2014". საქართველოს სტატისტიკის ეროვნული სამსახური. November 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
"Gudauri". Archived from the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
http://www.mrdi.gov.ge/ge/%E1%83%99%E1%83%9D%E1%83%91%E1%83%98-%E1%83%92%E1%83%A3%E1%83%93%E1%83%90%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1-%E1%83%90%E1%83%AE%E1%83%90%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98-%E1%83%A1%E1%83%90%E1%83%91%E1%83%90%E1%83%92%E1%83%98%E1%83%A0%E1%83%9D-%E1%83%92%E1%83%96%E1%83%90-%E1%83%92%E1%83%90%E1%83%98%E1%83%AE%E1%83%A1%E1%83%9C%E1%83%90
"Ski-lift accident in Gudauri leaves 11 with injuries, Retrieved: 18 March 2018". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
"Experts Say Operator's Mistake Caused Gudauri Accident". Archived from the original on 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
"Horrific Chairlift Rollback at Gudauri Ski Resort". TransWorld SNOWboarding. 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
Gabritchidze, Nini (1 August 2022). "Recriminations follow Georgian helicopter tragedy". Eurasianet. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
"12 bodies found in Georgian ski resort of Gudauri". Azerbaycan 24. 15 December 2024.
"12 bodies recovered from Gudauri ski resort in Georgia". News.Az. 14 December 2024.
Davit Kachkachishvili (14 December 2024). "12 bodies found in Georgian ski resort of Gudauri. Investigation ongoing as cause of death remains unknown for the 12 people found in the dormitory of an Indian restaurant". Anadolu Ajansi.
"გუდაურში რესტორანში 12 ადამიანის ცხედარი იპოვეს - უბედური შემთხვევის დეტალები (12 bodies found in restaurant in Gudauri - details of the accident)". PrimeTime.ge (in Georgian). 14 December 2024.
"ცნობილია გუდაურში მომხდარი უბედური შემთხვევის სავარაუდო მიზეზი (The probable cause of the accident in Gudauri is known)". PrimeTime.ge. 14 December 2024.
"12 people died at a ski resort in Georgia". 14 December 2024.
"12 found dead in Georgia's mountain resort Gudauri". Agenda.ge. 15 December 2024.
"Georgian police find bodies of 12 employees of restaurant". Apa.az. 14 December 2024.
"Twelve people die in incident at Indian restaurant in Gudauri". 1TV.GE. 14 December 2024.

External links

Media related to Gudauri at Wikimedia Commons

Mtskheta-Mtianeti Administration

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